The Boarding Buzz

Administration News

National Boarding Week Reflection

As part of National Boarding Week, we invite the School Captains to immerse themselves in the boarding experience at Great Southern Grammar. This year, School Captain Colin Ferreira joined the Senior Boys’ House for the week and has shared the following reflection on his time with us.

 

This week I had the privilege of stepping back into a world that’s always felt like home.

Boarding isn’t new to me, in fact far from it. I grew up surrounded by it. When I was born in England, my parents ran two boarding houses until I was five. Later, from 2016 to the end of 2019, they led Breaksea House here at Great Southern Grammar. For over half my life, I’ve lived in these busy communities where there’s always someone around, laughter down the hallways, late-night chats, shared meals, shared lives. So, when I got the chance to join the Senior Boys’ House for National Boarders Week, it wasn’t just exciting, it felt like coming home.

 

I’ve been looking forward to this since last year when Maddy and Louis, our 2024 School Captains, took part. And this week didn’t disappoint. There’s something special about waking up surrounded by mates, heading to training, and returning to bacon and egg rolls, which were a massive highlight, thank you to the canteen staff! Speaking of the food, Chef Nick’s Sunday night butter chicken has for sure earned a spot in my top tier of boarding meals. And trust me, I’ve had a LOT of butter chicken in my life.

 

But it’s not just about food. It’s the ping-pong matches (…you never stood a chance, Nick), the shared study sessions that make the workload feel a little lighter, and the quiet but powerful camaraderie that builds when you live alongside one another.

 

This week reminded me of why boarding is so special. It’s more than just a place to stay, it’s a community. A sense of belonging. And whether you’ve been here for years or just a few days, that sense of belonging is unmistakable.

 

Thank you to the boarders for welcoming me in. It’s been a pleasure.

 

Colin Ferreira | School Captain

Closed Weekend

The Boarders Closed Weekend is at the end of Week Five.  Boarders not using the Boarding Bus Service will depart boarding by 4.30pm on Friday 30 May and return after 3.00pm on Monday 2 June. 

 

Bookings for the Boarding Bus Service open this week.  Please find links to the bus bookings below.  These will also be published in the School Bulletin this Tuesday.  

 

For families using the Boarding Bus service, buses will leave on the Friday a little later than usual this term.  This is due to the Interhouse Athletics Carnival being held on that day. Boarders will be able to leave the carnival at 2.30pm and will depart on buses by approximately 2.45pm.  Information around arrival times for families will be emailed to those who have booked the bus.

 

To book the Eastern Bus Service, please click here.

Green Range, Boxwood Hill, Gairdner, Jerramungup, West River, Ravensthorpe, Lake King

 

To book the Western Bus Service, please click here.

Cranbrook, Tambellup, Broomehill, Katanning, Nyabing, Pingrup, Lake Grace

 

For new families who have not used the Boarding Bus thus far, please feel free to contact me for more information about this Closed Weekend service.

School Bulletin

A reminder to families that all information pertaining to Boarding will be published in the School Bulletin, which is distributed to families each Tuesday.  It is important to read this communication each week.  Some families have put a reminder in their phones to look out for the Bulletin each week... a very handy tip!

Booking Transport for TRANSWA & Flights

The use of TRANSWA for some of our boarders is a common practice. However, there have been a few instances where transportation to TRANSWA was not booked correctly in REACH, resulting in students not appearing on the bus list for travel to or from town.

 

To help ensure a smooth process for both families and boarding staff, I have outlined the correct procedure for booking transport for TRANSWA travel below.  I have used weekend leave as the example as it is the most common for TRANSWA.

The example above shows the correct procedure for a student who is catching a TRANSWA bus on a Friday afternoon to go home and then returning to boarding on a Sunday evening.

 

The two most important fields in a booking are the Leaving Transport Details and Return Transport Details.  These two fields, when filled out correctly, will place your child on the GSG bus list to be transported to and from town.  The only selections that will place your child on a bus list are the following:

  • WEEKDAY Mon-Fri Bus Leaving; OR 

  • GSG Weekend Sat/Sun Bus Leaving 

     

  • GSG Weekend Sat/Sun Bus Returning; OR
  • WEEKDAY Mon-Fri Bus Returning

Any other transport type within these fields will not place your child on a bus list.

 

There are notes sections in a leave booking where you can place bus arrival and departure times.  It is also important to know that booking for the GSG bus should be at least half an hour before the TRANSWA bus is due to depart so that we have ample time to transport your child to town.

 

To assist us with these bookings, you can attach your child's bus ticket to the leave. If your child also requires an Unaccompanied Minor Form, these can also be attached. You will see the attach files option in the image above.

 

It is also a good idea to forward a copy of your child's ticket to me at dianne.franzinelli@gsg.wa.edu.au. I will ensure it is provided to the driver and printed for your child.

Unaccompanied Minor Forms

Students travelling on TRANSWA who are under the age of 16 years will require an Unaccompanied Minor Form completed. There are two types of forms":

 

Whole of Year Travel Authorisation for Unaccompanied Child/Children

Single Journey Travel Authorisation for Unaccompanied Child/Children

 

Mrs Dianne Franzinelli | Boarding Administrator